Malibu Canyon Road was closed for a few hours on Saturday, Aug. 18, due to a fatal crash off the side of the road. LA County Medical Examiner-Coroner spokesperson Sarah Ardalani identified the victim as 45-year-old Raul Antonio Aguirre.
The Van Nuys resident was driving a Nissan Altima on the road when he went over the cliff—approximately one half mile south of the Malibu Canyon Road tunnel—around 10:20 a.m. The ensuing California Highway Patrol report noted that there was “major damage to a metal guard rail along with a vehicle approximately 200 feet over the east side of Malibu Canyon Road.”
The LA County Fire Department, LA County Sheriff’s Department and Malibu Search and Rescue responded to the scene to assist with rescue efforts.
CHP Officer Candan said, “It is my understanding [that] for unknown reasons, he lost control of his vehicle and went down the embankment.”
A witness noted that Aguirre made a left turn, crossed the median lines and collided with the guardrail, according to the CHP report.
Candan also stated that the incident was a “sole vehicle collision.”
Ardalani confirmed Aguirre was “pronounced [dead] at the scene at 10:58 [a.m.] on Malibu Canyon Road, south of the tunnel.”
The autopsy was still pending when The Malibu Times went to print Tuesday. It was unclear whether there were other factors at play at the time of the crash; the investigation was still ongoing.